Monday, May 18, 2009

I love cake. I love bacon. I love people combining both for the love of cupcakes. And now, I am one of those people. The satisfaction of merging some of best options from your breakfast platter into a mouthwatering sweet treat is quite possibly, one of the best dessert options currently on the market. Or, maybe one of the most creative to enter the baking world in the last decade.

Either way, be sure to sink your grubbing, grease-loving snaggles into these spongy bites.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.Cook about 6 strips of bacon, reserving the drippings to be later used. Place in the fridge to solidify. Dice the cooked bacon into tiny bacon bits, about a 1/4 cup. Beat the butter and solidified bacon fat until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and beat until combined. Add egg, continue beating. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and powder together. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, alternating between some of the milk, and ending with the dry. Combine thoroughly. Fold in the bacon bits. Splash in more maple syrup if needed for taste. Fill cupcake papers 2/3's full and bake for 18-22 minutes.

Combine the syrup and butter until fluffy. Slowly add sugar until light and well-combined.

Candied Bacon Topping

2 tablespoons of maple syrup2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Take two strips of cooked bacon. Coat slices with maple sugar and then, rub brown sugar over the entire surface. Bake for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees until bacon is shiny, crunchy and resembles hard candy. Remove from oven and wait until pieces are cool. Break into small slices for some adorable cake decor!